Well ladies, it’s that time of year again. . .hearts, flowers, candy, maybe dinner, and red, red everywhere! I actually don’t mind all the red; it happens to be my favorite color! I hope you all have a very nice heart day, and that you get a great gift from that special someone. But if Valentine’s Day 2012 turns out to be just another day, we can celebrate the fact that we have the Greatest Valentine ever. What do I mean?
We can take Valentine’s Day and make it a special day to celebrate the lover of our souls, the Lord Jesus Christ! To honor the Lord, I wanted to come up with an acronym for V-A-L-E-N-T-I-N-E, so here it goes:
V – HE is VICTORIOUS….He conquered sin and the grave!
A – HE is ALMIGHTY….There is no one more powerful!
L – HE is LOVE…The apostle John expressed it so well when he proclaimed that God is Love!
E – HE is ETERNAL…He lives forever, and we will also live forever with Him in heaven!
N –HE is NEAR…..He is available to all those who call upon His name!
T –HE is TRUTH…..He cannot lie, and we can always trust His words!
I – HE is IMMUTABLE…..He cannot change; He is the same yesterday, today, and forever!
N –HE is the only NAME by which we must be saved….Salvation is in Him alone!
E – HE is EXALTED…..His glory fills all of the earth!
Let’s celebrate JESUS!! HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!!
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:16
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Monday, February 13, 2012
Time
Ladies, it is hard to believe that 2012 is already about a month and half old! Where does the time go? Sometimes it does seem that the older you get, the faster time flies; of course, we know that this is not literally true, it just appears that way. But why is that? I imagine that as we get older, we sometimes have a lot of things on our minds and on our “plates”, a lot of activities going on with our families, churches, jobs, communities, etc. All these things seem to compete for our attention. As we attempt to deal with everything going on in our lives, before we know it, a day has gone by, a week, a month, a year, two years, a decade!
In this era of smart phones, ipads, ipods, and similar electronic devices, many of us can schedule events or to-do lists at the click of a button or by typing a few words on a keypad. (I must admit, I still operate in the “stone age” since my day planner on my desk serves the purpose for me. . . not very techno savvy, but it gets the job done!) So with all of this help to keep things on task, why do we still struggle?
Have you ever stopped to contemplate this thing called “time”? We all have it; some of us wish we had more of it. We all are given 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, yet we still frequently complain that we don’t have enough time to get all our tasks done. Perhaps, we need to spend some time with the Creator of time to help us budget our time.
The Lord is concerned with every detail of our lives, including how we spend our time. In fact, He tells us in Ephesians 5:16 to “make the most of your time”(NASB). Also, the passage in Luke 10:38-42 is a classic example of what the Lord commends as the best use of our time. Ladies, you are familiar with the story. . . Martha is busy doing all these things for Jesus, and Mary is sitting at the Lord’s feet, soaking up His every word. The Lord rebukes Martha for all her distracted busyness and commends Mary for taking the time to learn from Him. We all at times have many things to do, but it makes sense to sit at Jesus’ feet and let Him direct our days. Martha was too preoccupied with her many preparations; she merely needed to spend time with the Lord first, letting Him speak to her heart.
I have learned that when I give my days to the Lord, busy or not so busy, it’s amazing that I have all the time to do all the things I NEED to do. Some things may have to wait until another day. When your days seem overwhelming, sit at the Lord ‘s feet in prayer and in His Word, and watch how you have SUFFICIENT TIME to carry out the necessary tasks of the day.
“There is really only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it—and I won’t take it away from her.” Luke 10:42 (New Living Translation)
In this era of smart phones, ipads, ipods, and similar electronic devices, many of us can schedule events or to-do lists at the click of a button or by typing a few words on a keypad. (I must admit, I still operate in the “stone age” since my day planner on my desk serves the purpose for me. . . not very techno savvy, but it gets the job done!) So with all of this help to keep things on task, why do we still struggle?
Have you ever stopped to contemplate this thing called “time”? We all have it; some of us wish we had more of it. We all are given 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, yet we still frequently complain that we don’t have enough time to get all our tasks done. Perhaps, we need to spend some time with the Creator of time to help us budget our time.
The Lord is concerned with every detail of our lives, including how we spend our time. In fact, He tells us in Ephesians 5:16 to “make the most of your time”(NASB). Also, the passage in Luke 10:38-42 is a classic example of what the Lord commends as the best use of our time. Ladies, you are familiar with the story. . . Martha is busy doing all these things for Jesus, and Mary is sitting at the Lord’s feet, soaking up His every word. The Lord rebukes Martha for all her distracted busyness and commends Mary for taking the time to learn from Him. We all at times have many things to do, but it makes sense to sit at Jesus’ feet and let Him direct our days. Martha was too preoccupied with her many preparations; she merely needed to spend time with the Lord first, letting Him speak to her heart.
I have learned that when I give my days to the Lord, busy or not so busy, it’s amazing that I have all the time to do all the things I NEED to do. Some things may have to wait until another day. When your days seem overwhelming, sit at the Lord ‘s feet in prayer and in His Word, and watch how you have SUFFICIENT TIME to carry out the necessary tasks of the day.
“There is really only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it—and I won’t take it away from her.” Luke 10:42 (New Living Translation)
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Valentine Banquet
Tonight we're having our annual Church Valentine Banquet. My husband and I began this tradition four years ago. He and I cook the food and serve the people. The menu is homemade lasagna, salad and bread. We ask the guests to bring drink and desserts.
We also arrange for entertainment. In previous years, Bro. Al Mahan from Smithville, TN provide the musical entertainment. (Google him and book him if you get a chance.) This year we are looking forward to our entertainment-- Dr. Farris Jordan; a motivational speaker from Knoxville, TN. We have been privileged to hear him at several conferences and every time we have laughed so hard it brought tears to our eyes. (Google him....he is available for bookings too.)
I am telling you all of this because....this simple little event has made a GREAT IMPACT and a GREAT DIFFERENCE in our ministry at Whites Creek Baptist Church. This is a time where we let our hair down and enjoy each other's fellowship in a very casual, relaxed atmosphere. Over the past four years, we have grown in numbers and also grown closer together as a church family. Remember....we are bi-vocational, so we minister to a smaller church. The first year, we had approximately 25 that attended. This year, we have over 80 that have signed up. (The members are allowed to bring prospects.)
Not ONLY is it a GREAT time for our members to grow closer together, it is a WONDERFUL time to reach out to prospects. Sometimes it is easier to get them to attend a "social setting" than preaching for the first time. This year, we have at least 8 couples attending our banquet that do not attend church regularly anywhere else. Please pray for them.
Sometimes....simple little things make a HUGH DIFFERENCE. I know all of you have stories to share...........what are some of the "little things" that you and your husband have done in your ministry to make a difference in the moral of the congregation? I'd love to hear your ideas.
Friday, February 10, 2012
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Protecting Our Marriages - Part 2
Protecting Yourself from Other Men....
Women are different from men. Most men focus on visual and physical. Women focus on emotions and if we are not careful, we will find ourselves caught up and guilty of adultery. You may feel like you are not in danger at all. Let’s stop and look at the big picture and re-think that. We are ALL IN DANGER and MUST protect ourselves. Satan will attack women different from men, but he will attack both of us.
1. Beware of emotional adultery. Most women, especially pastor’s wives will say that they are not in danger, but sister, is there a particular man meeting your emotional needs ---more than your husband? Do you find yourself looking forward to the attention of another man be it at work, at the gym, at church or anywhere else? Is he feeding your ego, encouraging you, showing care for you and filling your head with warm words. Do you enjoy spending time with him and enjoy his company? BUT…you say, we are not doing anything wrong…This is what Satan would like for you to believe. If you had to move away or if he had to move away, would you miss him? If your answer is yes, then you had better WATCH OUT. Remove yourself from the situation even if it means quitting your job or quitting the activity that puts you in each other's company. You are playing with fire and are in danger of emotional adultery which eventually leads to physical adultery.
2. Don’t spend time alone with another man. Do not give Satan that chance to temp you. Sin demands opportunity. Just like it is foolish for our husbands to counsel women alone (they should either invite us to join them or another man or at least leave the door open while others are close by)….it is also foolish and dangerous for us to put ourselves in that position of being alone with another man. I know…it seems silly, but it is better to look silly and be overly cautious than to later be sorry. Never give Satan room to destroy us. At the same time, be careful with the computer. Technology is a wonderful tool, but Satan has used it in facebook, emails, messaging, etc. to destroy many home. Do to allow the same to happen to you. It is EASY to type or text the exact words the other person wants to hear.
3. Control your thoughts. Keep your thought pure. Be careful of what you watch on TV. Be careful of the music you listen to and be careful of the books and literature you read. Satan is looking for areas to tempt you without you even realizing it. Filling your minds full of trash will cause you to fantasize which in truth is just plain ole lust. Sin. “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:” (Prov. 23:7) Clean up your thought life because thoughts almost always lead to action.
4. Work on your relationship with your husband. By working on your relationship and keeping God in your lives you are protecting yourself and your marriage. Keep God FIRST and our husbands SECOND. Keep the communication open with your husband. YOU be the one to play on his ego and encourage him and brag on him. Be there for him.
I know you are wondering why I have spoke of being faithful for two days. God laid it on my heart to share these words. Just this week, I have been told of two more ministers' homes that have been destroyed by adultery. These were good people from good homes. They never MEANT for it to happen, but they let their guards down and got caught in Satan's web of sin. They were just like you and I and thought it could never happen to them. Let's keep our guards up and protect ourselves, protect our husbands and protect our marriages.
Let's keep our marriages pure and not become a statistic. Marriage is a precious gift from God.
Women are different from men. Most men focus on visual and physical. Women focus on emotions and if we are not careful, we will find ourselves caught up and guilty of adultery. You may feel like you are not in danger at all. Let’s stop and look at the big picture and re-think that. We are ALL IN DANGER and MUST protect ourselves. Satan will attack women different from men, but he will attack both of us.
1. Beware of emotional adultery. Most women, especially pastor’s wives will say that they are not in danger, but sister, is there a particular man meeting your emotional needs ---more than your husband? Do you find yourself looking forward to the attention of another man be it at work, at the gym, at church or anywhere else? Is he feeding your ego, encouraging you, showing care for you and filling your head with warm words. Do you enjoy spending time with him and enjoy his company? BUT…you say, we are not doing anything wrong…This is what Satan would like for you to believe. If you had to move away or if he had to move away, would you miss him? If your answer is yes, then you had better WATCH OUT. Remove yourself from the situation even if it means quitting your job or quitting the activity that puts you in each other's company. You are playing with fire and are in danger of emotional adultery which eventually leads to physical adultery.
2. Don’t spend time alone with another man. Do not give Satan that chance to temp you. Sin demands opportunity. Just like it is foolish for our husbands to counsel women alone (they should either invite us to join them or another man or at least leave the door open while others are close by)….it is also foolish and dangerous for us to put ourselves in that position of being alone with another man. I know…it seems silly, but it is better to look silly and be overly cautious than to later be sorry. Never give Satan room to destroy us. At the same time, be careful with the computer. Technology is a wonderful tool, but Satan has used it in facebook, emails, messaging, etc. to destroy many home. Do to allow the same to happen to you. It is EASY to type or text the exact words the other person wants to hear.
3. Control your thoughts. Keep your thought pure. Be careful of what you watch on TV. Be careful of the music you listen to and be careful of the books and literature you read. Satan is looking for areas to tempt you without you even realizing it. Filling your minds full of trash will cause you to fantasize which in truth is just plain ole lust. Sin. “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:” (Prov. 23:7) Clean up your thought life because thoughts almost always lead to action.
4. Work on your relationship with your husband. By working on your relationship and keeping God in your lives you are protecting yourself and your marriage. Keep God FIRST and our husbands SECOND. Keep the communication open with your husband. YOU be the one to play on his ego and encourage him and brag on him. Be there for him.
I know you are wondering why I have spoke of being faithful for two days. God laid it on my heart to share these words. Just this week, I have been told of two more ministers' homes that have been destroyed by adultery. These were good people from good homes. They never MEANT for it to happen, but they let their guards down and got caught in Satan's web of sin. They were just like you and I and thought it could never happen to them. Let's keep our guards up and protect ourselves, protect our husbands and protect our marriages.
Let's keep our marriages pure and not become a statistic. Marriage is a precious gift from God.
Congratulations!!
I would like to take this time to congratulate my husband, Roger. His secular job is with Unum Insurance Company in Chattanooga, where he works from home as a Computer Engineer. Yesterday, during a special program where everyone had to come into the office, he was awarded the "Aspire Award" which is the highest leadership award given by the company and he will be sent to Aspire Walt Disney World for a Business Conference. He was one of thirty employees to receive this prestigious award. Congratulations, Roger!!!
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Protecting Our Marriages
Protecting Our Husbands From Other Women….
Ladies….Satan is real! None of us are exempt. The harder we work for God the more Satan will try to tear us down. What better way than to attack a minister’s home?
If Satan can break down the minister’s home---
---his family will hurt
---his church will hurt
---his friends will hurt
---the community will hurt.
---Really, there is no end to the hurt.
Every time I turn around, I hear of another minister’s home that has been split up because of adultery; either due to the guilt of the wife or the husband. It truly breaks my heart.
We all know that most of the time men are weaker in this area than women. We must love our husbands and protect them. How can you do that? I took notes a long time ago and would like to share them. Some of this came from the writings of S. Drury and some of it came from collections over the years. Regardless, I thought it held lots of important info and I would like to share them.
1) Understand your man! God made men and women different, especially sexually. You need to take the time to get to know your man to know what his needs and desires are. Men are triggered visually and physically. Get to know him well enough that you know how to light his fire, because if you don’t someone else with designs on him might be doing that this very week. His position, power, prestige and even his spiritual commitment makes him a special target for other women. They will use this to build his ego and leave room for Satan.
2) Share your radar alerts! Women have a sixth sense about other women. God gave us this early warning system to help us warn our husbands and not to be used to turn green with jealousy. Sit down and discuss your concerns with your husband BEFORE the concerns turn into jealousy. Just remind your husband...no matter "how spiritual" the female makes the conversation....if she is feeding his ego or if she is using him for communication because she is lonely....WATCH OUT. A woman that truly has a spiritual need and is truly wanting help will focus on that and NOT work on building the man's ego. I feel like that is why pastor are so vulnerable...they want to minister. And, there are women out there that know that and will use that and feed on that to build their egos and ZAP...Satan has them.
3) Keep the Fire Burning at Home. (I know many of us are embarrassed to discuss this because it is so personal….but we MUST protect our marriages and if it means pulling up our “big girl panties” and talking about subjects that are many times taboo, so be it.) Take care of yourself and take care of your husband. Be silly. Have fun. Flirt with him. Do something crazy and off the wall. Keep yourselves neat for him and and dress to please him sometimes. Just remember…if you do not take the time to feed his ego and entertain him physically, mentally and sexually, someone else will. Fight back and protect your marriage before it is too late. Remember, Satan is the enemy and he will use the weakest links to help him fulfill his missions.
4) Keep God First. Husbands and wives both need to have their quiet time and prayer time with God. But, also, couples need to pray together and grow in the Lord together. We must strive to stay as close as possible. When we are the closest to God, there is not space left for Satan. It only takes a fraction of an inch for the devil to weasel his way into our lives, so lets not give him that opportunity.
Father, I ask You to protect our marriages from the attacks of Satan. Deliver us from his evil, destructive plans. "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:" (1 Peter 5:8).
Ladies.....Let's Protect Our Marriages!!!
Ladies….Satan is real! None of us are exempt. The harder we work for God the more Satan will try to tear us down. What better way than to attack a minister’s home?
If Satan can break down the minister’s home---
---his family will hurt
---his church will hurt
---his friends will hurt
---the community will hurt.
---Really, there is no end to the hurt.
Every time I turn around, I hear of another minister’s home that has been split up because of adultery; either due to the guilt of the wife or the husband. It truly breaks my heart.
We all know that most of the time men are weaker in this area than women. We must love our husbands and protect them. How can you do that? I took notes a long time ago and would like to share them. Some of this came from the writings of S. Drury and some of it came from collections over the years. Regardless, I thought it held lots of important info and I would like to share them.
1) Understand your man! God made men and women different, especially sexually. You need to take the time to get to know your man to know what his needs and desires are. Men are triggered visually and physically. Get to know him well enough that you know how to light his fire, because if you don’t someone else with designs on him might be doing that this very week. His position, power, prestige and even his spiritual commitment makes him a special target for other women. They will use this to build his ego and leave room for Satan.
2) Share your radar alerts! Women have a sixth sense about other women. God gave us this early warning system to help us warn our husbands and not to be used to turn green with jealousy. Sit down and discuss your concerns with your husband BEFORE the concerns turn into jealousy. Just remind your husband...no matter "how spiritual" the female makes the conversation....if she is feeding his ego or if she is using him for communication because she is lonely....WATCH OUT. A woman that truly has a spiritual need and is truly wanting help will focus on that and NOT work on building the man's ego. I feel like that is why pastor are so vulnerable...they want to minister. And, there are women out there that know that and will use that and feed on that to build their egos and ZAP...Satan has them.
3) Keep the Fire Burning at Home. (I know many of us are embarrassed to discuss this because it is so personal….but we MUST protect our marriages and if it means pulling up our “big girl panties” and talking about subjects that are many times taboo, so be it.) Take care of yourself and take care of your husband. Be silly. Have fun. Flirt with him. Do something crazy and off the wall. Keep yourselves neat for him and and dress to please him sometimes. Just remember…if you do not take the time to feed his ego and entertain him physically, mentally and sexually, someone else will. Fight back and protect your marriage before it is too late. Remember, Satan is the enemy and he will use the weakest links to help him fulfill his missions.
4) Keep God First. Husbands and wives both need to have their quiet time and prayer time with God. But, also, couples need to pray together and grow in the Lord together. We must strive to stay as close as possible. When we are the closest to God, there is not space left for Satan. It only takes a fraction of an inch for the devil to weasel his way into our lives, so lets not give him that opportunity.
Father, I ask You to protect our marriages from the attacks of Satan. Deliver us from his evil, destructive plans. "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:" (1 Peter 5:8).
Ladies.....Let's Protect Our Marriages!!!
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